Main navigation

Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade

Infused with homemade strawberry basil syrup, this Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade is the perfect refreshing drink to sip on the patio.

Today’s post is a special one. Is it because of the type of drink? Unfortunately, while the recipe, Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade, is certainly delicious and bound to get you in trouble if you angry-chug the entire pitcher, that’s not it. It’s the fact that this post is a collaboration!

Today’s work is a collaboration with a small group of some of the loveliest food bloggers I’ve met online. There’s Dana from Killing Thyme, Justine from Justine Celina, Sean from Diversivore, Jared from The Hesitant Chef, and Taylor from The Girl on Bloor. Honestly, you should check all of them out right now. They are superstars and I’m honoured to even be in the same collab as them.

Our collaboration is centred around what you’d do if you were virtually connecting with someone over cocktails. Instead of chit chat and drinks on the patio, we’re bringing that type of camaraderie and fun to the Internet to talk about what the blogging community means to us and how it’s helped ourselves and our businesses.

When I first got started with Crumb Kitchen, saying I was slightly lost and overwhelmed was an understatement. I had no idea coming into it how much work and time it would be. For those who don’t run a blog, imagine working full-time and then having another 20 hour/week+ job on the side. It involves brainstorming the recipe and photography set-up, buying groceries, preparing the food, taking notes, photographing it, downloading and editing, creating SEO-friendly photos and content, crafting original Pinterest images and other collateral, writing and laying out the post, scheduling social media, and submitting photos to websites like Foodgawker.

And that’s just the bare bones. For other bloggers who have more experience under their belts, it also includes working with brands, bookkeeping, pitching, and so on. Blogging is basically a full-time job!

That’s why community is so important. For me, that means the Food Bloggers of Canada community and all of their online resources.

Once I joined the two private Facebook groups for FBCers, something clicked immediately. I wasn’t just floundering alone . . . I was floundering with others! But in all seriousness, this community changed my blogging completely. I was able to ask questions and read the wise advice from more seasoned bloggers. Participating in the daily call-to-action posts to comment, pin or share the work of other bloggers let me see just how creative and wonderful the work is that everyone produces. I also got to make personal connections with my fellow bloggers, something that was slightly panic-inducing at the beginning but became a lifesaver in the end.

Though I’m new to the community, it’s easy to tell how kind, intelligent and hardworking these ladies and gentlemen are. The majority of FBCers who I see posting regularly are older, with more time-consuming responsibilities such as children or caring for elderly relatives. They do this all while blogging, and for many, working full-time jobs as well. I cannot express how in awe I am of their work ethic. It’s truly amazing.

That’s why I’m thrilled to be joining these wonderful folks I’ve made connections with over the Internet at this year’s Food Bloggers of Canada Conference in Toronto in the fall. For the first time, I’ll be meeting them in-person to embark on a three-day journey to make connections, learn more about my trade, and honestly, just have fun.

If you’re a personal friend of mine who is reading this, you’ll know that I wouldn’t attend this type of multi-day event solo unless I really wanted to go. As a person living with social anxiety, networking-style events are the stuff of nightmares. But knowing that I’ll be coming home to friends eases that fear.

Before I wrap up and talk a bit about this Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade, I’d like to say thank you to all those who belong to the FBC community, especially the ladies and gents participating in today’s collaboration. Your support, wisdom and vibrant personalities have made all the difference. <3

Now, let’s take a look at today’s recipe. Have you ever made your own limeade? No? How about with homemade strawberry basil syrup? Double no? Perfect. This Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade is sweet and layered with refreshing flavours such as lime, strawberry, basil and a healthy splash of gin.

The syrup takes a bit of time to make, but it’s definitely worth it. Plus, there’s about 1 cup left over afterwards, and it would taste ridiculously good in other drinks or poured onto pancakes, waffles or vanilla ice cream. Trust me on this one.

Raise a glass of this Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade and toast to whatever makes you happy and gives you joy in this world. Live for that.

Before you go, check out all cocktails created by our #FBCConnectingOverCocktails team!

Infused with homemade strawberry basil syrup, this Spiked Strawberry Basil Limeade is the perfect refreshing drink to sip on the patio.

Author: Cassie | Crumb Kitchen

Serves: A little more than 1 litre

Ingredients

Strawberry Basil Syrup

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced

¼ cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 cups water (or enough to cover strawberries in the pot)

1 cup granulated sugar

Limeade

1 and ½ cups lime juice*

1 and ¾ cups cold water

½ cup gin

Ice

Instructions

Strawberry Basil Syrup

In a small/medium pot over medium-high heat, add sliced strawberries and fresh basil leaves. Pour 2 cups of water in, or enough to cover the produce. Bring pot to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir gently every few minutes to keep the basil leaves wet.

After 20 minutes, remove pot from heat and strain out the solids, without pressing down, into a medium bowl. Discard the leftover basil leaves and mushy strawberries. Pour the liquid back into the pot.

Stir in 1 cup sugar to the liquid, then turn heat up to medium-high. When it reaches a boil, turn down heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat, pour into a container, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until cold and syrupy.

Limeade

Once syrup has cooled, pour 1 cup of syrup into a large drink pitcher. Add lime juice, cold water, gin and ice. Stir well and serve.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Your cocktail looks perfectly light and refreshing! Isn’t it amazing what a touch of basil can do? LOVED your comments about blogging and being part of a blogging community, and HOW MUCH WORK IT IS!! 🙂 You’re obviously well on your way!

Basil is wonderful! This is the first time I’ve used it in a sweet recipe, and I’m hooked. 🙂 Blogging is DEFINITELY a lot of work, but that’s what makes us superheroes. 😉 Thanks for commenting, Elaine!

[…] little group of cocktail fanatics, the #FBCConnectingOverCocktails crew, loved doing our collaboration in the summer and wanted to do a new, winter-themed post. (Editor’s Note: See all their delicious drinks […]

Primary Sidebar

Search

Search this website

Hey there!

Hey there! I'm Cassie, a lover of all things from-scratch. Follow along for recipes, local eating, DIY and more.